Democratic Candidates Apologize

Three Missed Monday's Presidential Session

July 18, 2003|By Buddy Nevins and Alva James-Johnson Staff writers

MIAMI BEACH — After being labeled "persona non grata" by the NAACP for skipping its presidential forum, three Democratic candidates came to the civil rights group's national convention on its final day Thursday and apologized.

Joseph Lieberman, Dick Gephardt and Dennis Kucinich were shoehorned into the convention's final day to make amends in front of 1,000 delegates.

The three Democrats flew to Miami Beach after three days of intense publicity about their absence from the Monday forum. The NAACP delegates' anger grew when they learned that Lieberman, Gephardt and several other candidates had attended a presidential forum conducted Tuesday by a gay group in Washington.

Political experts say the controversy was made worse by the new presidential election calendar that schedules the first primary on Jan. 13 in heavily black District of Columbia. Three weeks later on Feb. 3, primaries will be conducted in South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia and Missouri, where blacks play a big role in Democratic elections.

"Given the primary calendar, I can't believe they ever missed the forum. Why annoy any part of the biggest single constituency in the Democratic Party in these states?" said Jim Kane, a pollster who teaches politics at the University of Florida.

Lieberman and Gephardt said they were wrong at the convention. Kucinich was publicly prodded into an apology after giving a five-minute campaign speech.

NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said he was glad the Democrats relented and attended the convention.

"But in accepting those apologies, that does not guarantee that people will particularly gravitate or listen to what they're saying. ... We don't have that power," Mfume said. "Those candidates really have to go back out across this nation to seek that support. We're glad that they had a change of heart and recognized in many respects why it is so very important not to ignore such a large voting bloc in this nation."

Regrets offered

Lieberman, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, said aspiring for leadership "means being able to admit when you're wrong. In not coming Monday, I was wrong. I regret it, and I apologize for it."

The senator's spokesman said Monday that he missed the session because of planned campaign appearances, including a fund-raiser in New York.

Gephardt, a Missouri congressman who is the former House Minority leader, said he had family commitments Monday.

"I was sorry I was not here when you had the joint appearance the other night," Gephardt was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "I had a long-standing conflict that I could not get out of, and I apologize to all of you."

Kucinich, an Ohio congressman, said he missed the session Monday because of votes in the House. He spoke to National Association for the Advancement of Colored People members about rebuilding the economy and his opposition to the Iraq war.

Kucinich was quoted by The Associated Press as replying, "I'm very sorry I wasn't able to be here. Amazing grace, how sweet it is, once was lost, now I'm found."

Six other Democratic presidential candidates attended the forum. On the stage with them Monday were four empty chairs labeled with the name of the three Democrats and President Bush, who also was invited but didn't appear.

Delegates' reactions

Reactions to the apologies from NAACP convention delegates were mixed.

"It made a lot of impact and let me know that maybe they had other reasons why they couldn't come," said Robert Claypool of Inkster, Mich.

But Gail Goring, who was one of the Miami-Dade County volunteers helping with the convention, remained upset by the snub.

"I think it is an affront that they didn't show up initially," Goring said. "I think between Tuesday and now they came to realize or were told they will not get to the White House without the black vote. ... I'm looking to support those that were here [Monday]."

Because of the 2004 primary schedule, political experts on Thursday continued to be amazed that the three Democrats missed the NAACP forum.

"These folks are still thinking about the old calendar and about Iowa and New Hampshire," which were previously the first primaries in the presidential race, said Susan MacManus, a political scientist with the University of South Florida.

MacManus said Lieberman, Gephardt and Kucinich look like they were pandering to the NAACP after Thursday's appearance, but that they had no choice.

"This is a case of better late than never," MacManus said. "To no-show after the maelstrom that occurred over this would have been worse."

Some NAACP members were happy to put the controversy to rest.

Yvonne Brown of Westborough, Maine, said she thinks members were angry about being slighted.

"I think it helped that they did come and showed that we won't be taken for granted and that we had some clout," Brown said. "Now we can move forward."

Buddy Nevins can be reached at bnevins@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4571.